Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through February 19, 2020


silver semi automatic Phoenix Arms handgun with a black handle
On February 12, 2020 shortly before 9 p.m., Officer Ryan Purdy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Sauk Trail near Indianwood Blvd., and, after the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended Illinois driver’s license, Officer Purdy recovered from the front driver’s seat area this loaded, semi-automatic handgun that was reported stolen. The driver, who was found to be a convicted felon with convictions for armed robbery and prior weapons offenses, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and traffic charges. (Photo: PFPD)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The days leading up to and immediately following Valentine’s Day 2020 were not happy for all. These police reports include arrests through February 19, 2020. Charges for those arrested include a felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and four separate incidents involving charges of domestic battery.

Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use the word “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those arrested and/or charged have committed any offenses. We report on what is in the media reports furnished by police. As those charged are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.

Providing more details than readers will find in any other police beat reports, we invite readers to subscribe to get the whole story, every day.

eNews Park Forest has always published addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those who have been charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g. “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.

eNews Park Forest reports this information because the public in the United States has the right to know.  When that information is withheld or under-reported, it leaves questions.  We also want to show the work that the police force does every day that is not reported.  Police in Park Forest respond to thousands of calls per year, the vast majority of which do not end up with arrests.  Whether it’s conducting a routine investigation, pulling over a drunk driver, or responding to a possible theft at a store, the work of the police officer deserves acknowledgment by the public.

Aggravated Use of a Weapon by a Felon

Devon L. McMurtry-Kennedy, 28, 437 W. 16th Place, Chicago Heights, was arrested on February 12 and charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, driving while license was suspended, improper lane usage, and no rear registration light.

An officer traveling east on Sauk Trail at 1:03 AM from Indianwood Boulevard saw a blue 1996 Buick Park Avenue in front of him that allegedly weaved to the right, its tires crossing the center dotted line that separated the eastbound lanes, according to police. The officer saw that the Buick did not have a rear registration light illuminated, according to the report.

The officer turned off his squad’s headlights and confirmed that the vehicle’s rear registration light was not illuminated, according to police.

The officer activated his squad’s emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The Buick was slow to respond, taking approximately 30 seconds to come to a complete stop, according to police. As the vehicle slowed down, the officer saw the driver’s shoulders and head leaning forward toward the floorboard of the driver’s seat as if he was placing something on the floor, according to police.

The officer approached the Buick and spoke with the driver, later identified as Devon L. McMurtry-Kennedy. The officer told Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy why he had pulled him over and asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy gave the officer an Illinois identification card, according to police.

The officer conducted a LEADS inquiry and learned that Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy’s driving privileges were currently suspended, according to police. The officer asked that Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy exit the vehicle and he complied, according to police.

The officer advised Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy that he was under arrest on suspicion of driving while license was suspended and placed him in handcuffs, according to police. The officer asked Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy if there was anything illegal on his person or in the vehicle and Mr.McMurtry-Kennedy allegedly responded, “Not that I know of, it ain’t my car,” according to police.

There was a passenger in the front seat who requested a ride to the Park Forest Police Department to wait for family. The passenger was not arrested but she was questioned at the station.

Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy’s vehicle was searched prior to being impounded and police found a silver semi-automatic Phoenix Arms handgun with a black handle on the floorboard of the driver’s seat in the area where the officer observed Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy allegedly leaning toward during the initiation of the traffic stop, according to police. The handgun was not in a case and would have been readily accessible to Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy, according to police. The gun had 10 live rounds of .22 caliber ammunition in it, including one in the chamber, and the safety was switched off, according to police.

The officer conducted a LEADS inquiry and learned that Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy did not have a valid Illinois FOID card nor a concealed carry card, according to police. Furthermore, the LEADS inquiry indicated that the handgun had been entered as stolen on November 10, 2009, by the Stevenson County Sheriff’s Office, according to police.

Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy agreed to speak with the officer at the scene after the officer read his Miranda Rights to him from a preprinted card, according to police. Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy asserted that the car belonged to a family member and denied any knowledge of the handgun, according to police. Mr.McMurtry-Kennedy asserted that he stopped slowly and leaned forward during the beginning of the traffic stop because he was turning down the radio and making sure he didn’t hit the curb, according to police.

The on-scene interview was subsequently terminated and Mr.McMurtry-Kennedy’s vehicle was towed and impounded.

While on the way to the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy began speaking with the arresting officer about the handgun, according to police. During the conversation, Mr.McMurtry-Kennedy allegedly said, “I’m going to be 100% with you, I just didn’t want to say it because I thought you were recording,” according to the report. Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy allegedly went on to explain that he had the handgun to protect his passenger and didn’t plan on harming anyone, according to police. He allegedly told the officer that he found a handgun about a month ago in an alley near 83rd Street in Chicago, according to police.

At the station, the passenger allegedly said that when the officer stopped Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy, he allegedly removed a handgun from between the driver’s seat and center armrest and placed it on the floor by his feet, according to police.

The arresting officer reviewed Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy’s criminal history and learned that he was a convicted felon with the following convictions: armed robbery, defaced firearm, and possession of a controlled substance, according to the report. Mr. McMurtry-Kennedy also had one prior conviction on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to police.

Case numbers for these convictions are included in the report.

The officers involved in this incident had body-worn cameras that captured the incident, according to police.

Domestic Battery

Anthony L. Williams, 45, 1919 Revere St., Chicago Heights, was arrested on February 13 and charged with domestic battery after police were dispatched to Westwood Court at 12:12 AM to investigate a report of domestic battery.

When police arrived, they found a man, later identified as Anthony L. Williams, and a woman arguing in the living room, according to police. Officers separated the two and spoke with them individually, according to police.

The woman told police that Mr. Williams came over approximately one hour before she called 911. She said she allowed him into her home that evening to talk about their relationship issues but things escalated during their discussion.

She stated that Mr. Williams got upset and allegedly punched her on the right side of her face one time, according to police. She said she then called 911, according to police.

She stated that the last time Mr. Williams came over he was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property after allegedly trying to kick down her front door and get into the house, according to police. A case number for this incident is included in the report.

One of the responding officers observed swelling to the right side of the woman’s face, according to the report.

Domestic Battery

Tanisha L. Bures, 40, 1512 Mercury Dr. #101, Schaumberg, and James C. Bures, 46, 444 Homan St., Park Forest, were arrested on February 14 and each charged with one count of domestic battery after police responded to the 400 block of Homan Street at 10:50 PM to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance.

SouthCom Dispatch related that the complainant said that a man at the residence had a handgun, according to the report. When police arrived, an officer met with the complainant who pointed to James C. Bures and told the officer that Mr. Bures was the one who allegedly had the gun earlier, according to police. The officer performed a protective pat-down of Mr. Bures which yielded negative results for weapons, according to police.

According to police, James and Tanisha Bures allegedly jumped an individual at the house and struck him in the face. The two wanted that individual to leave the house, according to police. When the individual told Mr. Bures that he was going to call the police, Mr. Bures allegedly pulled a black semi-automatic handgun from the right pocket of his pants and allegedly told the individual, “You’re going to get out this house or I’m going to kill you,” according to the report.

At no point did Mr. Bures point the handgun at anyone, according to the report.

Mr. Bures denied ever possessing a gun that evening and said that the complainant was lying about him having a gun, according to police.

There is no mention of the police finding a gun during this incident.

Domestic Battery

Aaliya N. Johnson, 18, 8010 S. Evans Ave., Chicago, was arrested on February 16 and charged with one count of domestic battery and one count of aggravated assault after police responded to the 100 block of Algonquin Street at 8:24 AM to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance involving a knife.

A responding officer spoke with Ms. Johnson said that at approximately 8:10 AM, she was sleeping in the living room when she woke up and saw her boyfriend sitting on a chair in the living room looking through the messages on her phone, according to police. Ms. Johnson asked him to put her phone down but he allegedly refused to do so, according to the police. Ms. Johnson said she went to the bathroom and when she came back he was still looking through her phone so she asked him again to give her the phone, which he also refused, according to police.

Ms. Johnson then allegedly said she picked up his phone which he attempted to grab out of her hand and it fell to the floor, according to police. He then allegedly attempted to bend Ms. Johnson’s phone, which cracked the screen, according to police. Ms. Johnson then allegedly said she picked up his phone, went into the kitchen and allegedly attempted to break his phone, according to police. Ms. Johnson allegedly said she then looked for a knife in the kitchen, grabbed a large kitchen knife, and attempted to break his phone by hitting the phone with the knife, according to police.

Ms. Johnson alleged that he then grabbed her and threw her across the kitchen floor, according to police. Ms. Johnson then allegedly picked up the knife again and allegedly stated that she “tried to stab him” with the knife, according to police.

Ms. Johnson then sat on a chair in the living room and called 911, according to the report.

Domestic Battery

Keanu S.N. Hippolyte, 24, 402 Hirsch Ave., Calumet City, was arrested on February 16 and charged with domestic battery after police responded to the 400 block of Victoria Circle to investigate a report of domestic battery.

SouthCom Dispatch told officers that someone came to the residence to “beat up the caller” and left in a black Dodge Charger, according to the report. Another officer was on his way to an unrelated call and saw a black Dodge Charger leaving Victory Drive westbound and turn south onto South Orchard Drive, according to police. That officer followed the charger and radioed his findings to SouthCom Dispatch.

On South Orchard Drive near Indianwood Boulevard, the Charger pulled to the left turn lane and stopped, according to that officer. The officer activated the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle and approached the driver and lone occupant, Keanu Hippolyte.

Mr. Hippolyte told the officer that he was in an argument with his girlfriend over alleged cheating, according to police. He alleged that the two argued and she ran up to him and hit him in his eye, according to police. Mr. Hippolyte then allegedly pushed her and told her to keep her hands off him, according to police. He allegedly told the officer that they then got into a “scuffle,” and he then left the residence, according to the report.

At the residence, the alleged victim told police that she told Mr. Hippolyte she was going to leave him. Mr. Hippolyte then stood up and allegedly walked toward her in a way that made her think he was going to attack her, according to police. She pushed him away after which Mr. Hippolyte allegedly attacked her by punching her in the face several times, pulling her hair extensions from her head, pushing her to the ground, and choking her, according to police.

She said that Mr. Hippolyte allegedly stood over her while she was on the ground face down and allegedly placed both his hands around her neck from above so that his thumbs were on the back of her neck and his fingers were on the front of her neck, according to police. She said that she did not lose consciousness but that she could not breathe or yell for help, according to police.

Someone else ran towards the window to yell for help and Mr. Hippolyte left the residence, according to police.

An officer observed that the alleged victim had a bloody lip and the glue from her hair extensions was visible on her forehead, according to police. A portion of her hair extensions was on the floor and she had fresh scratches on her neck, according to police. She refused medical attention, according to police.


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